Fiery Heart, a Growlithe's Tale
by PokeThatPokemon
Summary: In a haven located in a place humans never have and never will tread, a Growlithe is hatched into a family of Pokemon. As Ember Pelt grows up in his mind and on the outside, gaining best friends and mortal enemies along the way, he will learn there are greater foes than the humans lurking in the Reedbeds. Side series, low priority. Please R&R, constructive critiscism welcome!
1. Hatching

Welcome to my side fic – Fiery Heart. The central focus of this fanfiction is to illustrate my take on what a wild Pokémon's life would be like in a forest far away from the humans' settlement, a world away from any risk of captivity. This first chapter will serve as a simple introduction to the Pokémon in the story – and his early days.

* * *

Meet Ember Pelt.

He is a Growlithe, residing in the Reedbeds – a riverside haven, miles away from the slightest hint of human activity.

Well, not _yet_.

Right now, Ember Pelt is still in his egg – a round, red one sitting nonchalantly in a nest belonging to his family. Said nest is tucked away in the depths of a network of, in which his mother, father and older siblings reside alongside many other Pokémon families.

His mother is Blazing Fang the Arcanine, named for her feared bite and the sheer ferocity of her special attacks. Nobody stands in her way, and despite this she is a protective and overly motherly parent.

His father is Storm Hoof the Shiny Rapidash. His speed on the ground is almost blinding, and he is a whirlwind in battle. He has been named the Protector of the Reedbeds for his skill, and is scarred from a thousand victories both explicit and mentally.

His older sister is Bright Star the Ponyta. A goody-goody and a devoted fangirl to her own father, she will do absolutely everything she can to be as strong as him. Always sticking to the rules and scolding everyone she can – even those older than herself – she is her parents' favourite, even though they aren't really meant to have one.

His brother, the middle child, is Scuffle Paw. Everyone likes him and he likes everyone back – despite being a devout prankster, his 'cute face' will always guarantee forgiveness. He tries to be on everyone's good side, and he has a crush a mile long on Silver Tail the Vulpix.

The other families in the Reedbeds all know this small clan, as the father is the Protector. So now, as Ember Pelt's hatching time is growing closer, the excitement is spreading throughout the forest in which the Reedbeds are located.

You are now Ember Pelt, about to embark on your journey through life. You must struggle to survive in the harsh world of Pokémon, because no matter how far away the humans are there will always be greater threats.

Are you ready?

* * *

It is dark, and cold.

The dark is dangerous. I must get out.

One of my paws reaches out to press against the container binding me. It holds firm.

How do I do this, then?

I throw my small body against the wall, grunting as I rebound off the edge. Soon enough, I can hear faint voices.

"Mum! Dad! Look!" calls one, a young-sounding male. Likely my brother.

"Oh? What is it, Scuffle Paw?" asks a mature female. I instinctively recognise this to be my mother's.

"The egg's hatching, mum!" he continues.

No duh, Sherlock!

"Now? Go get your father and sister! They should be on patrol duty... Damn, why now?" she swore. Hearing the harsh words makes me whimper, and the rhythmic thud of heavy paws trotting towards me jostles the spherical container I am in. Slightly, but still noticeable.

"Honey, I'm home!" yells a noble voice from far away.

"My Arceus, Storm Hoof! What kept you? The egg's hatching!" my mother cried back, and the thud of two pairs of hooves shake the ground again. What's with all the running? I whine and place my paws against the walls, giving one final push. A loud, drawn-out cracking sound reverberates around the shell.

One more kick and the restraining sphere collapses, bits of bony shell clattering onto my head. The light, although dim, is blinding, and it isn't helped by the flickering flames of two Pokémon around me.

"Welcome to the world, little one," whispers my father.

"Aww, look! He's so cuuute!" obsesses the pony-like Pokémon beside him. The sound of her loud voice startles me, and I writhe around in the nest.

"Bright Star, don't speak too loud. You may damage his hearing," scolds Mother. Well, if she hasn't yet, I'm sure she will have sooner or later.

My mother turns and pads up the tunnel to gather something or other, and my father shoos the other kids away – both the Growlithe, Scuffle Paw, and Ponyta, Bright Star.

"So, little champ? How do you like Ember Pelt?" he asks once we're alone. Ember Pelt. It sounds like a good name. I give a small nod and attempt to stand, still coated in sticky goop from my egg.

"Ember Pelt it is! Can you follow me?" he whinnies, trotting down a tunnel and pausing at the end. Can I actually walk? I won't find out sitting here in my eggshell doing nothing. Rolling out of the nest and landing on my feet, I place one paw in front of the other. I'm walking!

"Well done, buddy! Now come on!" he calls, and I scamper after him, stumbling over my own paws. A droplet of water trickles down from the ceiling of the underground tunnel and lands on my face. It burns into my skin, and I yelp in pain.

"Oh, are you okay, buddy?" Dad asks. "I really need to fix that drip sooner or later, but I can't get close enough without hurting myself. So I need to get Two Tails to do it at some point. She's the Ambipom everyone calls on to fix stuff."

"D-dad?" I stutter. So I can talk too?

"Yes, son?" he replies, turning back to face me.

"Who else l-lives here?" I ask him. He grins and stops completely.

"Our home is a network of caves under the Reedbeds, a haven far away from humans. Many Pokémon families live here, and it will take time to explain them all to you. After I show you your mother's room, I'll take you up to the surface."

The surface sounds good to me. The thought of what could lie above the ground, having been hatched underneath it, fascinated me.

"S-so we all sleep together?" I whimper as a fierce-looking Granbull stomps by and turns off into another burrow.

"No. Your sister and I are not cave-dwellers, so we sleep in the hollow underneath a bush on the surface. You, your mother and Scuffle Paw have your own cave in this network down here." That makes it all a lot clearer, and I happily trot after my dad.

"S-so what's your name?" I ask. He looks back over his shoulder and smiles.

"My everyday name is Storm Hoof, and your mother's is Blazing Fang. But you must call us Dad and Mum, okay?" I nod and scamper over, noticing how he's picked up the pace.

"O-okay..." I stammer, both confused and fascinated at once.

"Storm Hoof!" calls a silky-smooth voice emitting from a slick white fox Pokémon's mouth. She pads over to my dad and touches his muzzle with her pointed nose in greeting.

"Ah, Moon Song! I take it the cubs are doing well?" he asks her. I somehow know that she is a Ninetales – how I do, I'll never know.

"Silver Tail and Sun Burst are doing just fine. And who's this? I'm certain Scuffle Paw's gotten a lot bigger than this patch of felt..." Rage floods me, my fire-coloured face fur impossibly glowing redder.

"This 'patch of felt' is my new son, Ember Pelt. You, of all the Pokémon here, should know not to insult my offspring." he growls sternly. Ears pinned back, tails between her legs, Moon Song shrinks back in mock fear.

"What? Me, insult your wonderful son? Even the notion!" she gasps, mocking the two of us.

Dad doesn't respond and walks on, allowing me one growl at the sly Ninetales before moving along. At the last second, however, he looks back and calls, "Remember, Moon Song, where your loyalties lie." And with that we were gone.

Dad noses the bark curtain shielding our den aside, allowing myself to scamper in first. Mum greets me, touching noses and directing me to a crude nest she'd obviously just thrown together.

"I wish I could've gotten something better, but I didn't have much time, so tomorrow you can go up with your dad while I get you a proper nest. Okay?" I nod and curl up in the mass of soft ferns and twigs. I watch my father's blue mane disappear around the entrance and leave, followed by my sister's orange one. Nearby, Scuffle Paw is already sleeping, drooling all over his nest.

Without a word I slip into an uneasy sleep, pondering over my purpose in this brave new world I was born in. I do serve some sort of purpose, that much is certain, but what it is I must find out for myself.

* * *

Opinions, anyone? :D


	2. The Surface

This is quick, it was originally going to be one chapter but thought it would be too long...

* * *

Trotting obediently behind the whole family, Dad and Bright Star having arrived early to allow me to see my first sunrise, the tunnel I am travelling through takes a sudden and steep slant upwards. Scrabbling at the foot of the slope, I watch my mother and Scuffle Paw skilfully leap from ledge to ledge – followed by the horse-like half of the family. If they can do it with hooves, I can do it with paws!

My foot slips on the first bump, and I feel my whole body slide down to the tunnel floor. Mum bounds down, allowing myself to grip her mane, before carrying me on her back the rest of the way.

"M-mum, where are we going?" I ask her, jostling around in her scruffy mane.

"To the surface of the Reedbeds. Okay?" she pants. I guess Growlithe are quite heavy, then. "Right, you get off now," she orders. I do as she says instantly. "We're nearly at the surface, and when we get there Ember Pelt will go with your dad and Bright Star. Scuffle Paw, you go do what you want. I'm going to get bedding for the new arrival. Okay?" We all nod and split up, and before Dad leaves I watch my brother touch noses with a pretty young Vulpix who's trotted up the tunnel after us.

"That's Silver Tail. She's Scuffle Paw's crush, and those two are really getting mushy right now," whispers my sister, who has bent her head down to talk to me. I nod to acknowledge her, smiling. She and dad have begun to gallop away, though, and by the time I realise I can't run properly yet both are long gone.

Great. All alone up here.

Clambering up the slope, thankfully making it this time, the first thing I see is the water. Huge areas of water, shallow and deep, rivers and ponds, stepping stones and islands dotting the surface. Bulrushes sprout from the opposite side of the largest lake, silhouetted against the rising sun which is glowing a brilliant red.

"H-hello?" whimpers a small voice behind me. A young Eevee, probably also hatched yesterday, is sat tearfully at the foot of the slope I just scaled.

"What's wrong?" I ask him.

"M-mummy and Daddy went up here and told me to stay, but I'm scared. D-did you see them?" His voice is wavering and punctuated with hiccoughs. "T-they are a Sylveon and Vaporeon!" I shake my head no.

"I can help you look!" I offer, extending one paw to him. He takes it and I haul him up, shaking the dust off his pelt. "I'm Ember Pelt!"

"I-I'm Quiver Leaf." the Eevee replies, smiling faintly. "M-my mummy wanted a Leafeon."

"Nice to meet you! Now, where to look..." I scan the Reedbeds with my sharp eyes, and slowly realise the beauty of this place. Sunlight dapples through the canopy, filtering onto the water and casting a reflection upon those stood nearby. Across the centre of the clearing lies a small plain, and out of the corner of my eye I spot my father and sister galloping over it. The largest lake is clear and fresh, so pure it could have been touched by Suicune himself.

By that lake, a slick-looking Pokémon covered in sky-blue scales laden with fins and gills slithers into the water, diving underneath it and resurfacing before... a Sylveon?

"Quiver Leaf! Over there!" I bark excitedly, pointing to them with a paw. My new Eevee friend perks up at once, scampering away to get to them. I follow, tail wagging excitedly.

"MUM! DAD!" he cries, now in tears as the two adults race over to meet him.

"Arceus, Quiver Leaf, why are you out of the nest?" asks the fretting mother Sylveon.

"I-I got scared, a-and I couldn't find you, a-and I came to the thing, b-but you had g-gone!" he sobbed, sinking into his mother's feelers and his father's scaly tail. "E-Ember Pelt helped me find you!"

Me? Oh Arceus, now the parents are looking at me.

"Are you the protector's new son?" the Vaporeon asks. I nod quickly.

"Ah, so your father took you out today. We were going to wait until Quiver Leaf was at least capable of holding himself together before showing him the outdoors." chuckled the mum. I blushed and shied away. "I'm Ribbon Burst and my mate is Tidal Wave."

"Well, I expect your parents will be worried sick. I'd go back to get them if I were you. Come on, Quiver Leaf, time to get back to the nest," calls Tidal Wave, leading his son away. I really liked Quiver Leaf. I hope I get to see him again sometime.

I turn tail and scamper away to find something else to do. There's bound to be a lot of stuff going on, so I turn towards the forested half. Deep in the canopy bird Pokémon call to each other, clearly enjoying themselves; below this cacophony a small dinosaur is leaping around under the branches and waving his arms around madly. A Bagon.

"W-what are you doing?" I ask, cautiously approaching him and leaping back as he turns to me.

"Trying to fly, of course! I'm a Dragon! If other dragons can do it, so can I!" he retorts, looking up again and making another flight attempt.

"Did you notice that the other dragons have wings?" I point out.

"Pfft! Were you born yesterday or something?" he teases.

"Actually, I was. I'm Ember Pelt. You?" I retort. He turns red before replying,

"Umm... I'm Scarlet Wing. Mamma says I'm gonna be a big Salamence like her when I'm grown up, so I'm practising!" he boasts, claws on his hips.

"That's great! When I'm older, I'll be a strong Arcanine like Mum, and scare away all who cross my path with my mighty roar!" I reply, grinning. "Who are your parents?"

"My mamma is Broken Roar the Salamence, and Dadda is Sunset Claw the Dragonite!" he grins, showing off two rows of dragon-like teeth.

"Mine are Blazing Fang and Storm Hoof! They're an Arcanine and Rapidash!" I bark back, liking this stranger more and more every time he talks.

"No way! Your dadda is Storm Hoof! He's the protector of the Reedbeds! You're so lucky!" he whines, drooping. "My dadda's the Pokémon equivalent of a beach ball..."

"No, that's not true! You've got such awesome parents!" I console him, wagging my tail. That lifts his spirits and he reaches out with his blunt claws to touch my side. "Tag!" he yells, running like crazy.

"Oh no you don't!" I cry back, picking up the pace and pulling up alongside him. Unable to touch him with a paw lest I topple over, I slam him with my side and veer away, sprinting through the forest and out onto the plains. Looking up, I barely see Scarlet Wing leap off a nearby tree and onto my back.

'WHUMP!' I'm knocked to the floor, wheezing, mostly because of the sheer weight of this guy.

"No offence, but you're kinda... heavy, y'know?" I gasp as the Bagon rolls off of me and onto the grass.

"None taken! But you're pretty damn fast!" he replies. "I was just checking whether I could fly from up here, then I'd catch you no problem!" We both break out in peals of laughter, interrupted only by a Rapidash, Ponyta and a Salamence. Dad, Bright Star and who I can assume to be Broken Roar.

"Yo...u ne-ed to co..me home..." wheezes Broken Roar. I can see where she got her name from now.

"Aww, mamma! But me and Ember Pelt are having so much fuuun..." Scarlet Wing whines, staggering to his feet.

"Broken Roar's right. Ember Pelt, if you couldn't keep up you could have just told us! We'd have slowed down!" Dad scolds me. Tail between my legs, I solemnly pad over to my father, whispering goodbyes as we leave. "Look, son, I'm pleased you're making friends, and I'd be happy to let you play with them again. But you need to tell me where you're going! Your mother was worried sick!"

"I know..." I whimper, trotting obediently behind him. Never mind. I can see Quiver Leaf and Scarlet Wing again tomorrow. I just need to find them, and then we can be real friends.

* * *

**Character Index **by the end of Chapter Two:

Ember Pelt – 1-day old male Growlithe  
Bright Star – 3-year old female Ponyta  
Scuffle Paw – 1-year old male Growlithe  
Storm Hoof – 8-year old male Rapidash, Protector of the Reedbeds  
Blazing Fang – 7-year old female Arcanine

Moon Song – 6-year old female Ninetales  
Silver Tail – 1-year old female Vulpix  
Sun Burst – 1-year old male Vulpix

Ribbon Burst – 7-year old female Sylveon  
Tidal Wave – 7-year old male Vaporeon  
Quiver Leaf – 1-day old male Eevee

Broken Roar – 10-year old female Salamence  
Sunset Claw – 9-year old male Dragonite  
Scarlet Wing – 1-week old male Bagon

Two Tails – 6-year old female Ambipom, handywoman

* * *

See you VERY soon with chapter 3. After that, this will lose priority over the other fics.


End file.
